Kruger, Poyer, King Round Out 2013 Draft Class

The Eagles spent their trio of seventh round selections on Utah defensive end Joe Kruger, Oregon State corner Jordan Poyer, and Oklahoma defensive end David King, and Chip Kelly’s first ever draft is officially in the books.

Kruger is a big-time talent at 6’6″, 269 pounds with NFL bloodlines (brother Paul just won a Super Bowl with the Ravens). He’s a long, powerful player with some natural athleticism and pass rush ability. He will have the opportunity to win a roster spot at defensive end, an area where the Eagles are hurting for depth. He declared early, and might have been a much higher pick in 2014 had he chosen to stay in school.

Jordan Poyer was one of the most productive corners in the nation in 2012, tallying 7 interceptions. The knock on him is speed. He’s not an explosive athlete, but makes up for his deficiencies with phenomenal football IQ and ball skills. He’s a zone corner with decent size at 6’0″, 191, and punt return ability. He played both outside and over the slot at Oregon State, and will jockey for depth chart positioning with Curtis Marsh and Brandon Hughes.

Oklahoma’s David King was the Eagles’ final pick of the afternoon. I’ve never seen him play – or even heard of him, so I plan to reserve judgment. He has the size to play defensive end in a 3-4 at 6’5″, 286. He did not participate in the NFL Combine and his career statistics are nothing to write home about. He was highly recruited out of high school, but will have to battle Kruger, Bennie Logan, and veterans for a roster spot.

Most people would consider Kruger and Poyer to be massive steals in the seventh round, so the Eagles ended the draft on a high note. Plenty more analysis to come!